BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTypes of chemotherapyChemotherapy is the use of medicine to treat cancer. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. It may be used to cure cancer, help keep it from spreading, or reduce symptoms. ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article In some cases, people are treated with a single type of chemotherapy. But often, people get more than one type of chemotherapy at a time. This helps attack the cancer in different ways. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are other cancer treatments that use medicine to treat cancer.Targeted therapyTargeted therapy uses medicines to stop cancer from growing and spreading. It does this with less harm to normal cells than other treatments. Stand...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that relies on the body's infection-fighting system (immune system). It uses substances made by the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Standard chemotherapy works by killing cancer cells and some normal cells. Targeted treatment and immunotherapy zero in on specific targets (molecules) in or on cancer cells.How Doctors Choose Your ChemotherapyThe type and dose of chemotherapy your health care provider gives you depends on many different things, including:The type of cancer you have Where the cancer first showed up in your body What the cancer cells look like under a microscope Whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) Your age and general health How Chemotherapy WorksAll cells in the body grow by splitting into two cells, or dividing. Others divide to repair damage in the body. Cancer occurs when something causes cells to divide and grow out of control. They keep growing to form a mass of cells, or tumor. Chemotherapy attacks dividing cells. This means that it is more likely to kill cancer cells than normal cells. Some types of chemotherapy damage the genetic material inside the cell that tells it how to copy or repair itself. Others types block chemicals the cell needs to divide. Some normal cells in the body divide often, such as hair and skin cells. These cells also may be killed by chemo. That is why it can cause side effects like hair loss. But most normal cells can recover after treatment ends.Chemotherapy DrugsThere are more than 100 different chemotherapy medicines. Below are the seven main types of chemotherapy, the types of cancer they treat, and examples. The caution includes things that differ from typical chemotherapy side effects.Chemotherapy side effectsThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ALKYLATING AGENTSUsed to treat:Leukemia Lymphoma Hodgkin disease Hodgkin diseaseHodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Multiple myeloma Multiple myelomaMultiple myeloma is a blood cancer that starts in the plasma cells in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue found inside most bone...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sarcoma Brain Cancers of the lung, breast, and ovary Examples: Busulfan (Myleran) Cyclophosphamide Temozolomide (Temodar) Caution:May damage bone marrow, which can lead to leukemia.LeukemiaLeukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of the bones, where blood cells are ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ANTIMETABOLITESUsed to treat:Leukemia Cancer of the breast, ovary, and intestinal tract Examples:5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) Capecitabine (Xeloda) Gemcitabine Caution: NoneANTI-TUMOR ANTIBIOTICSUsed to treat:Many types of cancer. Examples:Dactinomycin (Cosmegen) Bleomycin Daunorubicin (Cerubidine, Rubidomycin) Doxorubicin (Adriamycin PFS, Adriamycin RDF) Caution:High doses can damage the heart. TOPOISOMERASE INHIBITORSUsed to treat:Leukemia Lung, ovarian, gastrointestinal, and other cancers Examples:Etoposide Irinotecan (Camptosar) Topotecan (Hycamtin) Caution:Some can make a person more likely to get a second cancer, called acute myeloid leukemia, within 2 to 3 years. Acute myeloid leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer that starts inside bone marrow. This is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cell...Read Article Now Book Mark Article MITOTIC INHIBITORSUsed to treat:Myeloma Lymphomas Leukemias Breast or lung cancer Examples: Docetaxel (Taxotere) Eribulin (Halaven) Ixabepilone (Ixempra) Paclitaxel (Taxol) Vinblastine Caution: More likely than other types of chemotherapy to cause painful nerve damage. Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Cancer Society website. How chemotherapy drugs work. www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/chemotherapy/how-chemotherapy-drugs-work.html. Updated November 22, 2019. Accessed April 2, 2024.Collins JM. Cancer pharmacology. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 25.National Cancer Institute website. A to Z list of cancer drugs. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs. Accessed April 2, 2024.AllVideoImagesTogTalking to your MD Chemotherapy - what to ask your doctorRelated Information Review Date: 12/31/2023 Reviewed By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Types of chemotherapyChemotherapy is the use of medicine to treat cancer. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. It may be used to cure cancer, help keep it from spreading, or reduce symptoms. ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article In some cases, people are treated with a single type of chemotherapy. But often, people get more than one type of chemotherapy at a time. This helps attack the cancer in different ways. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are other cancer treatments that use medicine to treat cancer.Targeted therapyTargeted therapy uses medicines to stop cancer from growing and spreading. It does this with less harm to normal cells than other treatments. Stand...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that relies on the body's infection-fighting system (immune system). It uses substances made by the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Standard chemotherapy works by killing cancer cells and some normal cells. Targeted treatment and immunotherapy zero in on specific targets (molecules) in or on cancer cells.How Doctors Choose Your ChemotherapyThe type and dose of chemotherapy your health care provider gives you depends on many different things, including:The type of cancer you have Where the cancer first showed up in your body What the cancer cells look like under a microscope Whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) Your age and general health How Chemotherapy WorksAll cells in the body grow by splitting into two cells, or dividing. Others divide to repair damage in the body. Cancer occurs when something causes cells to divide and grow out of control. They keep growing to form a mass of cells, or tumor. Chemotherapy attacks dividing cells. This means that it is more likely to kill cancer cells than normal cells. Some types of chemotherapy damage the genetic material inside the cell that tells it how to copy or repair itself. Others types block chemicals the cell needs to divide. Some normal cells in the body divide often, such as hair and skin cells. These cells also may be killed by chemo. That is why it can cause side effects like hair loss. But most normal cells can recover after treatment ends.Chemotherapy DrugsThere are more than 100 different chemotherapy medicines. Below are the seven main types of chemotherapy, the types of cancer they treat, and examples. The caution includes things that differ from typical chemotherapy side effects.Chemotherapy side effectsThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ALKYLATING AGENTSUsed to treat:Leukemia Lymphoma Hodgkin disease Hodgkin diseaseHodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Multiple myeloma Multiple myelomaMultiple myeloma is a blood cancer that starts in the plasma cells in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue found inside most bone...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sarcoma Brain Cancers of the lung, breast, and ovary Examples: Busulfan (Myleran) Cyclophosphamide Temozolomide (Temodar) Caution:May damage bone marrow, which can lead to leukemia.LeukemiaLeukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of the bones, where blood cells are ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ANTIMETABOLITESUsed to treat:Leukemia Cancer of the breast, ovary, and intestinal tract Examples:5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) Capecitabine (Xeloda) Gemcitabine Caution: NoneANTI-TUMOR ANTIBIOTICSUsed to treat:Many types of cancer. Examples:Dactinomycin (Cosmegen) Bleomycin Daunorubicin (Cerubidine, Rubidomycin) Doxorubicin (Adriamycin PFS, Adriamycin RDF) Caution:High doses can damage the heart. TOPOISOMERASE INHIBITORSUsed to treat:Leukemia Lung, ovarian, gastrointestinal, and other cancers Examples:Etoposide Irinotecan (Camptosar) Topotecan (Hycamtin) Caution:Some can make a person more likely to get a second cancer, called acute myeloid leukemia, within 2 to 3 years. Acute myeloid leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer that starts inside bone marrow. This is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cell...Read Article Now Book Mark Article MITOTIC INHIBITORSUsed to treat:Myeloma Lymphomas Leukemias Breast or lung cancer Examples: Docetaxel (Taxotere) Eribulin (Halaven) Ixabepilone (Ixempra) Paclitaxel (Taxol) Vinblastine Caution: More likely than other types of chemotherapy to cause painful nerve damage. Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Cancer Society website. How chemotherapy drugs work. www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/chemotherapy/how-chemotherapy-drugs-work.html. Updated November 22, 2019. Accessed April 2, 2024.Collins JM. Cancer pharmacology. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 25.National Cancer Institute website. A to Z list of cancer drugs. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs. Accessed April 2, 2024.